May 3, 2012 9:19

Adele overtakes Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' in UK's all-time biggest selling albums list

Singer's second album '21' has surpassed Michael Jackson's classic

Photo: Press

Adele has overtaken Michael Jackson in the UK's all-time biggest selling albums list, according to the Official Charts Company.

The singer's second album '21' has now sold 4,274,300 copies in the UK, 500 more than Jackson's 1982 classic. '21' has sold an average of 20,000 copies per week over the last four weeks.

In the 15 months since Adele's second album was released, it has spent 66 non-consecutive weeks on the Official Albums Chart, with 23 of those at Number 1. It has outsold Amy Winehouse's 'Back To Black' to become the biggest selling album of the 21st Century.

The Top Five biggest selling albums of all-time have remained the same for some time as no artist has come close to challenging, until now. Queen's 'Greatest Hits' is Number One, with sales of 5.83 million, and 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' by The Beatles fills the Number Two slot with 5.04 million. Abba's 'Gold' is Number Three, '(What's The Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis is in fourth.

The biggest selling albums of all-time Top 10 now stands as follows:

1. Queen - 'Greatest Hits'
2. The Beatles - 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'
3. Abba - 'Gold'
4. Oasis - '(What's The Story) Morning Glory?'
5. Adele - '21'
6. Michael Jackson - 'Thriller'
7. Dire Straits - 'Brothers In Arms'
8. Pink Floyd - 'The Dark Side Of The Moon'
9. Michael Jackson - 'Bad'
10. Queen - 'Greatest Hits'

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